Naruto: Jedi of Destiny
by TheEgoRaptor
Summary: Since his birth Naruto was different. The first Force Sensitive Child on his planet in 1000 years since the passing of the Otsutsuki Clan. An 'accident' leads the Jedi to him. Will he rise above it all and save the Galaxy? Or will he fall prey to his very own Dark Side?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone. I would like to start by saying that this Fiction has been a long time coming. I began a rough plan for this many months ago, outlining plot points and ideas for where I'd like the story to go.**

**I'll confirm now that, should I have the time, this Fiction will span all of the CURRENT films as well as The Clone Wars animated series and the newer Star Wars Rebels. With how I want this fiction to turn out I don't know if the New Saga will have any place here.**

**I'm going to say this now; Naruto will not have any Chakra based abilities, period. If you don't like that than please don't feel the need to express it in a Flame Review. With those abilities I feel Naruto would simply be far too OP. **

**The Concept for his Force Abilities is stemming from him being the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki. I believe the newest Naruto movie portrays the Otsutsuki clan as aliens from another planet, so I'm running with that.**

**Also, I want to focus on the Star Wars universe in this Fic, so for all intents and purposes believe that the Shinobi World is safe. i-e: Madara is dead-dead, no threat of Kaguya reincarnation. Akatsuki might get a mention, but as they are not being controlled by Obito their objectives will have changed.**

**On a different note, The Guiding Flame has not been abandoned, just put on a slight hold for the moment as I focus on getting a few chapters of this out.**

**In some of my other Fictions I have opened with a few questions, giving you the readers a chance to influence the story a little. I'd like to do that with this Fiction as well. So please read the small AN at the end of this chapter.**

**I apologise for this huge AN, please give this a read and take the time to Review!**

* * *

"Gizka, Master?"

"Yes, it would appear so." said Qui-Gon Jinn.

To say that the Jedi Master was upset would be an understatement. He and his Padawan had only recently been tasked with the duty of acting as ambassadors to the Supreme Chancellor and to investigate the Trade Federation's blockade of the planet Naboo.

It had been his hope to arrive within a few days, now it seemed it would be quite a while longer.

Qui-Gon and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, stood in the cargo hold of the diplomatic ship that even now speeding them through hyperspace towards Naboo.

Looking out across the large area Qui-Gon counted no less than three dozen of the small bipedal reptiles as they hopped along, intent on causing some manner of trouble. He turned to look at the crewman behind him.

"Do we know the extent of the damage?" he asked calmly. Gizka were not as much of a pest as they had been in the times of the Old Republic, but they could still pose a danger to any ship _exposed _to them.

"Unknown Sir. We have only recently discovered them, there's no telling how much damage they could have done since we left Coruscant." Replied the crewman, his uniform designating him as an Engineer.

As if to back up the man's words the floor beneath their feet began to shake.

"I have a bad feeling about this Master." said Obi-wan from behind him. For once Qui-gon was obliged to agree with this Padawan.

There was something wrong with the situation; he could feel it in the Force. What disturbed him most was that he had never quite felt something like it before.

Usually the Force would provide some form of warning, a distinct feeling that something bad was about to happen. Despite the shaking of the ship increasing, the Force still felt strangely calm and yet fully aware of the situation.

It was almost as if the Force was telling the Jedi Master to accept whatever was about to happen.

The Com-link on his belt began to beep loudly. Qui-gon quickly activated the link and found himself in contact with one of the ship's pilots.

"Sir! We are getting reading of very dangerous fluctuations in the Hyper-drives systems."

"Damn!" muttered the engineer, overhearing the conversation. "These bloody pests must have chewed through the Hyper-drives power couplings. We need to leave Hyperspace and power down now." he said.

"And if we don't?" asked Obi-wan, not sure that he wanted to know the answer to his own question.

"Uh…boom." deadpanned the engineer.

"Pilot, we need to drop out of Hyperspace immediately to affect repairs." ordered Qui-gon.

For a few moments on silence was his response. Suddenly the light shaking became violent. Primary lighting failed and the cargo hold was bathed in the deep red of emergency lights.

"Master Jedi sir!" came the garbled response from the pilot, "The navigational computer is going haywire, it's reprogrammed itself for one last jump before our power shuts down. Co-ordinates unknown."

Qui-gon grimaced, he certainly didn't want an unknown Hyperspace jump if he could avoid it, they tended to end badly.

"Is there any way that we can cut the ships power before that happens?" he asked, hoping for the best.

"No sir, the last power surge overloaded the Hyperdrive, for the time being it is a sefl-sustaining power source. If we don't make the jump that energy will go critical. We won't survive the explosion." said the pilot solemnly.

For a brief moment Qui-gon thought back to what he had felt from the Force on moments ago. The memory galvanised his will and he knew that he would have to accept whatever consequences would come from his next words.

"So be it. Send out a final warning for all crew to stow themselves safely, and then make the jump. May the Force be with us." he said before taking the last of the engineering crew and his Padawan to find a safe place to weather the coming storm.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki was trying his hardest to enjoy his night as he walked along one of the Hidden Leaf Village's main thoroughfares, gazing around at all of the bright and colourful stores.

Tonight was the same as any other night for the five-year old blonde. The cold looks of disdain, civilians acting as if he didn't exist at all. At times, Naruto swore that he could actually feel all of the negative emotions the adults directed his way.

Parents would shepherd their children out of his way and shopkeepers would ignore him until he left their stores.

Naruto had learnt early on that he only could only call three others of his age friends. Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Kiba Inuzuka.

It seemed that their parents didn't feel the same way as all the rest, Naruto had even overheard them encouraging their boys to befriend him and that they shouldn't listen to all the bad things they had been told about the kind boy.

The four of them had gotten into all sorts of trouble over the past year since they began their tuition at the Academy, much to Iruka-sensei's ire.

Naruto was smiling at the memories as a familiar, godly scent wafted towards him. He broke out into a run as he neared his destination, his stomach grumbling in protest.

Turning the corner at break-neck speed he ducked under a white dividing curtain and scrambled his way up onto a high stool.

"Oi, Old Man! I'm here so you better get cooking!" he called out loudly. From behind the counter Naruto could hear a man being to chuckle.

"Ah, Naruto my boy, you're early tonight. The usual I suppose?" said Teuchi Ichiraku as he came out from the back of his Ramen Stall, a wide smile on his face as he saw sitting at the counter, eagerly awaiting his daily meal.

"You bet, three Miso Ramen please." replied Naruto.

Ichiraku Ramen was one of the very few businesses within Konoha that would serve Naruto. As a result, the small Ramen stand had quickly become a daily haunt for the young boy.

Teuchi and his daughter Ayame never treated the boy as anything but that.

Naruto was waiting for his meal somewhat-patiently when he felt it, a ghost of a feeling, nudging at the edges of his senses. _Something _was calling to him.

He dropped from his stool and turned, parting the curtain with his hand to look up at the night sky. For a brief moment he thought he saw something pass in front of the moon, a tiny black shape, before it disappeared back into the ocean of black surrounding it.

As strange as it sounded to his young mind, Naruto know that whatever it was that was calling out to him, it was up there somewhere.

He focused his eyes and seconds ticked past before he caught sight of anything.

'_There!' _He could make out the faint outline of something as it pasted between the stars.

A strange feeling of excitement filled Naruto as he came to a sudden realisation, it was getting closer. Its form was nothing more than a dull black outline, even still, Naruto refused to take his eyes off the thing.

He watched it get closer and closer, the shape increasing in size every second. Naruto watched in fascination as it passed over the Hokage Monument without a sound and seemed to descended bellow the tree line on the plateau above it.

The rational part of his young mind told him that he should be scared of whatever it was, that he should run and tell the Old Hokage right away.

But Naruto was never one to be described as 'Rational'.

"Hey Old Man," he shouted as he turned his head to look back at Teuchi who was busy preparing his meal, "Keep it warm for me! I'll be back as soon as I can." The Ramen chef didn't even have time to formulate a reply before the boy was gone from sight.

Naruto ran as fast as he could, he didn't know if anyone else had seen what he had but he was damn sure that he would be the first to get there.

He ignored the angry shouts of indignation as he barged past people on the streets, his young legs not yet ready to take him across rooftops.

After a few short minutes of hard running Naruto had reached the base of the Hokage Monument and soon found the stairs he knew would take him to the top and to his prize.

* * *

_Earlier…_

The entire ship shook around Qui-Gon as he stared out of the bride's viewport, the distinct vision of Hyperspace the only thing visible.

Qui-Gon had managed to find his way to the bridge in time for their impromptu Hyperspace jump.

"Sir, we are about to drop out of Hyperspace, this might be a little rough." said the pilot seated in front of him. Qui-Gon could only nod in response. This was the pilot's area of expertise, not his.

The ship groaned in protest as it began to decelerate rapidly, the streaked view of Hyperspace giving way to the eternal dark of normal space.

Immediately the flight crew began the task of running the dozens of diagnostics that would need to be run before the task of repair was even in question.

Qui-Gon cast his gaze out of the bridge's main viewport. With their systems damaged they would have to find somewhere safe to land the make repairs.

"What is the extent of the damage Captain?" he asked aloud. A short, thin man wearing Republic dress-blues turned to regard him, his breast emblazoned with the mark of the Galactic Senate.

"Not as severe as they could have been sir, it will only take us a day at most to finish up with the repairs. Though we will have to find somewhere to land in the meantime." he said and Qui-Gon sighed in relief.

Their mission was a vital one and they could not afford any costly delays. At the Captains words a young crewman spoke up.

"Sir, sensors are picking up a small planetary body close by. Initial scans indicate a breathable atmosphere." That piqued the wizened Jedi's interest.

"Where are we exactly?" he questioned. They were lucky to be alive in the first place. A jump to Hyperspace without pre-programmed co-ordinates was, statistically speaking, suicidal.

The chances of being smashed to atoms in an asteroid field or flying into the centre of a star were far too high for it to be considered even remotely safe.

"Currently unknown Master Jedi, it will take the Navi-Computer a while to calculate exactly where we are."

"Then it appears we don't have a choice Captain, we must set a course for the nearby planet." said Qui-Gon and the Captain nodded in agreement.

The journey to the unknown planet was a short one, within the space of half an hour the diplomatic cruiser was sitting in high orbit.

Qui-Gon was trying to identify any distinguishing features as a mean to determine which planet it was they were sitting above but he was having no luck.

"What planet am I looking at?" asked the Captain. It was a valid question, with no navigational data it could have been one of the millions within known space.

"Uh, unknown Sir." replied a crewman.

"What do you mean Unknown? The planet should be in the ship's database. The only way it wouldn't be was if…" started the Captain.

"Would be if this planet had never been discovered until now." finished Qui-Gon, letting his revelation hang in the air for a few moments.

"Captain, open up all scanners to maximum. Search for any signs of life or transmissions of any kind." Qui-Gon was beginning to get anxious.

If the planet they were in orbit was not in the galactic database then it could only mean one thing. They were the first to find it, and if the results of the scans revealed what Qui-Gon was almost sure they would, it would mean a very tricky First-Contact scenario.

He could feel something down on the planet's surface, and the more he stretched his senses, the surer he became. The Force _wanted _him to go down there.

"Master Jedi, initial scans show large but sporadic groupings of life forms on the planet's largest continent. We are also picking up extremely faint radio signals but they are far too primitive for our sensors to interpret." said the crewman.

That was certainly not what Qui-Gon had wanted to hear. It could only mean that the population of the planet was primitive, likely not even into their Industrial Age.

After a few quiet moments of thought Qui-Gon was seconds away from ordering the Captain to make for the planet's small moon when he felt it.

Something or someone down there had noticed them. No, noticed him.

"This did not happen by chance…" he whispered to himself in quiet shock.

"I'm sorry Sir?" queried the Captain, obviously confused.

"I need a moment Captain, I will give you landing co-ordinates as soon as I am able." said Qui-Gon as he stood from his seat, only to sit cross-legged on the cold durasteel floor.

Using a basic Jedi meditation technique he began to widen his senses, trying to pinpoint whatever it was that he was feeling down on the planet's surface.

Minuets passed before the Jedi master opened his eyes again. He stood and moved to indicate one of the larger concentrations of life signs on the bridge's main holo-display.

Bring us closer to this settlement Captain, disable all exterior lighting as well. We must be as stealthy as possible.

The Captain nodded and began filtering orders to his crew.

Qui-Gon watched as the small globe drew closer and closer. As luck would have it, they were descending to the night side of the world, a small blessing that would enable them to land unseen. At least that was the plan.

As they broke through the atmosphere it became possible to make out the lights of the city they were approaching and the Jedi could see that it was much larger than he first thought.

It was clear that whatever species lived on this planet had managed to harness electricity, the soft glow of thousands of lights illuminating the area.

The city itself sat behind a massive wall with only one obvious point of entry, an enormous set of seemingly wooden gates. The most impressive sight however was the stone monument at the far end of the city.

Four massive stone faces had been carved directly into the mountainside, giving the impressions of benevolent gods watching over their subjects. However, as they drew closer Qui-Gon noticed that the faces were strikingly human in nature.

He quickly changed his assumptions; it was more likely that they were past leaders of the city.

Qui-Gon noticed a large expanse of deep forest on the mountain top behind the city. There was also a clearing almost large enough to cradle their ship until such a time as both the repairs had been finalised and the Jedi Master had finished whatever business the Force had set for him on the planet.

"Take us down there Captain," he said, indicating the clearing he had spotted. "As quickly and as quietly as possible. It would be beneficial for us if the local populace didn't know we were here."

Once again Qui-Gon could feel something pushing at the edges of his senses. It seemed that someone had indeed noticed his presence. He would be lying if he said he wasn't more than a little interested to see exactly who or what it was.

He suspected that it must be some kind of primitive Force practitioner. The universe was a large place and the Jedi were not the only people who could harness the power of the Force, the Dathomiri witches were a prime example of that.

Minutes later the ship came to a soft halt as it finally touched down. Qui-Gon stood and began to make his way from the bridge.

"Please inform the crew that no one is to leave the ship, it could be very dangerous outside. I will attempt to make formal contact with the local populace under the guise of a traveller. In the meantime, please expedite all repair efforts, we still need to get to Naboo after all." he said, not waiting for a reply.

Qui-Gon made his way through the ship to where he knew his Padawan would be. He found Obi-Wan pacing in the small quarters they were sharing. The young man looked up at his Master's approach.

"Do you feel that Master?" he asked plainly and Qui-Gon nodded.

"I do, it appears to be right outside the ship. Whatever it is I'm not sensing any ill intent. I will go and try to make contact, stay aboard and help with the repairs. I shouldn't be long." he said. Obi-Wan looked worried.

"Are you sure that's wise Master?" he asked, causing Qui-Gon to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me my young Padawan, I will be fine." he said as he turned and made his way towards the ships' main exit ramp.

On his way there he passed a shining bronze humanoid droid. He turned to stop it.

"You are a protocol droid yes?" he asked, fairly sure he was correct. The droid stopped immediately and turned to regard the Jedi.

"Of course sir, I am programmed in over seven million forms of communication." it said in a monotonous synthetic tone.

"Good, please come with me, I may require your services." he said. The droid didn't even hesitate.

"At once sir." Confident that the droid would follow him, Qui-Gon rounded the final corner to the exit ramp.

Whoever the presence he had felt earlier belonged to, it was right outside of the ship. The next few moments would determine whether or not they would be seen as welcome quests or hostile invaders.

Qui-Gon keyed a short sequence of digits into the control panel beside him and the ramp began to lower letting in the cool night's breeze. The venerable Jedi Master was not prepared for what he was confronted with.

The ramp had lowered completely now and Qui-Gon had begun to make his way down and out of the ship, his thick cloak billowing around him and hiding his form. He would be lying if he said he had been prepared to come face to face with a young child sporting and ear to ear grin.

* * *

Naruto bounded up the steps as fast as his young legs could carry him. His every breath burnt inside his chest but he didn't care, all that mattered was that he get to the top as fast as he could.

He wasn't sure if anyone else had seen what he had but he didn't want to take the risk. Chances were if it was something cool than the Old Man would already be there and wouldn't let Naruto near whatever it was.

When he finally reached the top of the stairs it seemed he was in luck, there was no perimeter guard to keep people out of the forest.

Without thinking of his own safety, Naruto bounded off into the forest and towards whatever it was that he could still feel.

Naruto had only taken a few running steps into the tree line when a wave of foreign smells hit him head on.

The air had taken on a coppery tang that tasted horrible in Naruto mouth and caused his eyes to water. He pressed on regardless, eager to finally lay eyes on his discovery.

The forest around him began to thin and from his early lessons at the Academy he knew that meant he was getting closer to a clearing of some kind.

He picked up the pace and within moments the tree around him fell into the distance. He skidded to a halt almost instantly, his young mind not truly able to comprehend what he was seeing.

Almost the entirety of the large clearing had been filled by what appeared to be a large metal structure, easily bigger than the Hokage Building.

It was mainly red with white accents and long, much longer than any building Naruto had ever seen. Its shape was that of a misshapen cylinder with three individual bulges at one end.

For all the wonder the sight brought him, some part of Naruto's mind screamed at him that _something _was wrong.

He had ventured up here many times before to be alone and he had never seen this structure before, of that he was certain. He knew what he had seen earlier, a large black shape floating through the sky.

His uneducated mind was not able to comprehend the idea that this metal building had indeed been flying effortlessly through the night sky only minutes earlier.

A loud rumble broke Naruto from his thoughts and a small section of the building began to lower in front of him, descending to the ground with the tell-tale groan of metal on metal.

Light poured out from inside and for a brief moment Naruto was forced to cover his eyes with an arm. When he was able to look up, Naruto could see two distinct shapes at the top of the ramp.

A huge grin broke out on his face as he watched them descend towards him. One was a man, wearing multiple layers of brown robes around his person; he seemed to be smiling down at Naruto.

The other was harder to make out. Naruto assumed that whoever they were they were wearing some form of armour, if the glint from their attire and their strange limp-like movements were anything to go by.

Naruto didn't know what it was, but for some reason he didn't feel scared despite knowing that he probably should be. The man that was just now beginning to kneel in front of him was radiating a calming feeling.

It was then that Naruto realised that this man was what he had felt as he sat at Ichiraku, the same feeling that had lead him all the way here.

Naruto took a quick moment to take in the man's appearance. He was certainly middle aged, with a long head of light brown hair and a short matching beard.

Despite wearing robes the man wasn't any kind of Monk Naruto had ever seen before, not like the ones from the Fire Temple. He wore a pair of high leather boots and sported a belt adorned with numerous strange looking devices, their functions completely unknown to Naruto.

It was the cylindrical device resting on the left side of the man's hip that drew the majority of Naruto's attention. It looked much like a bladeless sword with no hand-guard to speak of, only a handle of polished silver and black metals.

He looked back up into the man's kind face as he began to speak.

"_**You have nothing to fear young one, I come with only peace in mind." **_He said, not that Naruto could understand him. He knew that words were coming from the man's mouth, but not any that Naruto had ever heard.

"Um, sorry mister but I've got no idea what you're sayin'." said Naruto, eyeing the man strangely. He noticed the man in armour 'perk up' at his words and turn slightly to regard the robed man.

"_**Master Jedi, if my audio receptors are correct, this young life form is speaking a dialect of the ancient Otsutsuki (1) language, propagated by the species of the same name. I am not certain but I believe that it is expressing its difficulty understanding Galactic Basic." **_ They said and Naruto immediately noticed something off with the man's voice, it didn't sound natural.

The man seemed to understand what the man in metal had said and cupped his chin in a hand.

"_**Yes, I remember the language from my studies at the Temple. I will not be requiring your services C-2XS, please return inside." **_he said causing the armoured man to waddle his way back up the ramp.

Naruto was growing increasingly frustrated by the fact that the two men had been spouting gibberish the whole time to one-another.

"I don't know about you mister, but I've got no idea what you're saying." he reiterated.

"I am sorry young one; your language is one that I have not spoken for quite a while. My name is Qui-Gon Jin. What may I call you?" said the man and Naruto was finally able to understand him.

"Not young one! I'm five now, I'm not a little kid anymore." he said petulantly, crossing his arms and looking away with a pout for a moment. Qui-Gon chuckled at the boy's antics which seemed to placate him.

"You can call me Naruto Uzumaki!" he declared loudly. "How'd you get your funny looking house here? I thought I saw something in the sky but houses can't fly." he said, scratching the back of his head as he looked up at Qui-Gon.

The Jedi Master raised an eyebrow slightly.

"How did you know?" he asked simply, hoping the boy would understand what he meant. Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know. I just felt it I guess, like something calling out to me. If that makes any sense." he said dismissively.

That confirmed it for Qui-Gon, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that this young boy, this Naruto Uzumaki, was Force Sensitive.

"Not to worry Naruto, I know what you mean. What you felt was the Force calling out to you." he tried to explain. Naruto looked at him quizzically.

"The Force? What's that?" he asked honestly. Qui-Gon wasn't sure if he should be terrified or curious by what Naruto had said.

"_Does that mean he is the only one? I didn't feel any other Force presences anywhere else on the planet, but that shouldn't be possible." _Either way, the boy deserved an explanation.

"The Force is what gives a Jedi their power. It is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us. It is what binds the galaxy together." he explained, much the same as he had done once for his Padawan.

Naruto seemed to perk up at the mention of 'power'.

"What's a Jedi? And what's the galaxy?" asked Naruto innocently and Qui-Gon once again laughed softly to himself.

"A Jedi is someone who studies and trains to use the Force as a means of protecting people and upholding peace in the Galaxy. As for the galaxy itself….let's just say that it is really big place." he said, not quite sure if Naruto was ready for a lecture on the nature of the universe and astrophysics.

"That sounds awesome, I've never heard of you guys though. Where are you from?" asked Naruto.

Qui-Gon thought on his options for a short moment before deciding that if what he believed the Force wanted for both he and Naruto than there was no harm in telling the boy.

"You'll need an open mind Naruto." he said, gaining a confused nod from the young boy before he pointed up into the night sky.

"I come from far, far away. Up there, that is the Galaxy Naruto. Each star that you see is a sun and each sun could have its own world." he explained, hoping for the best.

Naruto was silent for a long moment; no doubt his young mind was attempting to come to terms with what Qui-Gon had revealed to him. It was then that a sudden realisation hit him.

He stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and falling down to sit in the dirt.

"Y-you're an a-alien!" he shouted, pointing a finger accusingly at the Jedi Master. Qui-Gon chuckled at his response; it was for all intents and purposes a valid one.

"Yes Naruto, I guess you could say that, though we aren't too dissimilar you and I." he said though Naruto looked sceptical.

"What do you mean?" he said as he picked himself up.

"I am a Jedi, and you Naruto, you have the potential to be one as well." he explained and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Really?" he questioned, causing Qui-Gon to nod.

"Of course, the fact that you could sense my presence, however faintly, is impressive. There is no reason that I can see that would prevent you from training as a Jedi. Though it would mean that you would have to leave your home though." explained Qui-Gon, his tone remorseful. Naruto's mood seemed to falter somewhat at that.

"Aw, but Being a Jedi sounds so cool, but it means that I couldn't be Hokage? That's not fair." he said as he began to pace pack and forth, mumbling softly to himself. Qui-Gon wasn't able to hear a word of the boy's projected thoughts.

"Argh! I don't know what to do." he called out finally, stopping in place and turning to regard Qui-Gon once again.

"We need to go see Old Man Hokage, he'll know what to do." he declared confidently.

"This 'Hokage', he is the village leader I presume?" queried Qui-Gon and Naruto nodded happily.

"You bet! He's the strongest in the whole Village and he pays for my apartment and food every month." he said, confusing Qui-Gon slightly.

"You live on your own? Why?" he asked. Naruto's happy mood seemed to evaporate in an instant.

"Well I never had any parents and no one else wanted me so I told the Old Man that I'd just live by myself." he explained, masking his emotions well and burying them, something the old Master picked up on easily.

"_That isn't good. Without proper guidance he will be easy prey to the Dark Side of the Force, even if he has no concept of its existence." _he thought.

"Well then, this Hokage sounds like a very nice man, would you please take me to see him?" he asked and Naruto nodded.

"Sure, he always likes learning new things; I think that's why people used to call him the Professor. I'm sure he'd want to meet you." said Naruto, gesturing over his shoulder with a wave of his hand and beginning to walk back the way he had come.

Qui-Gon caught up with the boy quickly, moving to walk beside him as he was led towards the Hokage Mansion.

Naruto was leading him down a set of rather precarious stone steps down the face of the monument mountain when he spoke up.

"What's this?" he asked casually, confusing Qui-Gon somewhat.

"Pardon?" he inquired as his gaze shifted to the boy. His eyes widened in alarm at the sight.

Naruto was casually inspecting his Lightsaber, how he had taken it from his belt he didn't know, his eye peering down the emitter and his fingers dangerously close to the activation stud.

With lightning quick reflexes, Qui-Gon snatched the dangerous tool from the boy's hands, earning a groan for his efforts.

"You old people are always taking all the cool stuff from me." said Naruto petulantly.

"I Apologise Naruto but this isn't a toy, it is a very dangerous weapon." he said as he clipped the blade back onto his belt, making doubly sure it was secure.

"That just makes it sound even cooler." the boy said. "What is it?"

"It is a Lightsaber, the weapon of a Jedi. When activated the hilt will emit a deadly blade of energy capable of cutting through almost anything." he explained, only serving to encourage the boy more.

"Can I have one? Please?" asked Naruto, pulling at Qui-Gon's robes.

"If you become a Jedi, then yes. You would be able to create your own." said Qui-Gon.

"Not fair." he heard Naruto whisper through pouted lips, causing him to chuckle softly.

The rest of their journey was made in silence. Naruto had led Qui-Gon through the bustling streets towards the largest building Qui-Gon could see in the entire village. It was large and red, looking much like a dome that had had its top cut away.

Qui-Gon could only assume this to be Hokage Mansion. The Jedi Master could not help but notice the cold stares that were sent Naruto's way by the populace.

He could easily feel the waves of hate and anger being sent Naruto's way, and from the boy's reaction it seemed that on some level he could as well. What struck him as odd was that amidst the anger there was also fear, terrible and primal.

What would these people have to fear from such a young child?

Qui-Gon was pulled from such dark thoughts when Naruto pulled him along into the Hokage's building and up numerous flights of stairs before coming to rest outside of a large wooden door.

"Are you sure that we won't be disturbing the Hokage Naruto?" he asked, the last thing he wanted was to anger the first leader he met on this planet.

"Nah it'll be fine. The Old Man always seems happy whenever I turn up. He says it gives him an excuse to get away from all of his paperwork." explained Naruto. Qui-Gon accepted the answer but still felt a little apprehensive about the situation.

Naruto knocked once on the door, loudly, and without waiting for a response opened it and strode into the room.

"Hey Old Man! You'll never guess what I've brought for ya." he called out loudly.

From behind Naruto Qui-Gon peered into the room. By all respects it was modestly decorated. Bookcases lined the walls and two small chairs sat before a large desk. Seated in a high-backed chair on the other side of the desk was the man that Qui-Gon could only assume was the Hokage.

He was an elderly man, much older than himself, who wore a simple white and red robe. The desk he was seated at was piled high with stacks of papers. He looked up at Naruto's entrance, a smile on his face.

It flickered briefly as he noticed that Naruto wasn't alone. In that instant Qui-Gon's senses were overwhelmed with a feeling of immense scrutiny.

He had been in the presence of enough warriors to know when someone was taking his measure. Carefully determining the possible danger he posed and strategizing numerous ways to eliminate him as a threat if the need arose.

It seemed this elderly man was not as naïve as he appeared. His eyes only lingered on Qui-Gon for the briefest of moments before returning to Naruto.

"Naruto my boy, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, his tone grandfatherly.

"I brought you an alien!" he declared as if it was the simplest of matters. Silence reigned for a brief moment.

"…..What?" muttered the Hokage.

"Yeah, he's got a spaceship and everything." said Naruto with a smile. Qui-Gon chose that as his time to intervene.

"I apologise for my un-announced presence Lord Hokage, but young Naruto speaks truly." he said as he stepped into the room.

While it may have been the strangest thing that the old Hokage had heard in many years, he was not one to dismiss anything without first learning the facts.

"Naruto, thank you for this. Would you please excuse us for the time being?" he asked. Naruto looked somewhat unsure but nodded slowly, figuring that the Hokage knew best.

"Uh, sure. I'll just go back to Ichiraku and finish my dinner, I'll be back Old Man." he said, turning to walk from the room.

"He's not as grumpy as he looks, I'll see you later mister Qui-Gon sir." he explained before running from back out the door and down the hall.

When Qui-Gon returned his gaze to the Hokage he was being gestured to sit. He nodded in thanks and did as instructed.

"That is a bold and strange claim Naruto is making…." started the Hokage, unsure of how to address the supposed alien sitting in front of him.

"Qui-Gon Jin." supplied the Jedi Master. The Hokage nodded in thanks.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi. Now, I don't know how you would normally handle a situation like this but I would ask you now to be blunt." said Hiruzen and Qui-Gon could respect the man's forwardness.

"Why are you here? More importantly why are you here with Naruto?" he asked.

Qui-Gon reached into the folds of his robes and produced a holo-display. He placed it on the desk in front of him and activated it. A static blue image of his ship was displayed, illuminating the darkened office. Hiruzen hid is surprise of the strange technology well.

"This is the ship that I arrived in, a diplomatic vessel. We were on a mission to another planet, Naboo, when we sustained damage." he began explaining.

"We?" Hiruzen interrupted him.

"My Padawan and the ship's crew. I ordered them to remain aboard the ship to affect repairs." he said, noticing the Hokage's confused look at the mention of his Padawan.

"I apologise, my Padawan is what you might call my apprentice. I am a Jedi; we act as peace keepers for the galaxy. That is the broadest description I can give." he supplied.

If the Hokage was confused or amazed by anything that Qui-Gon was saying he was managing to hide it well.

"As I said, we sustained damage that forced us to land here so that we could repair the ship. At first I thought it merely an accident, but now I don't know what to think." he said as he thought of Naruto.

"What do you mean?" queried Hiruzen, raising an eyebrow.

"Naruto. I think he is the true reason why I am here." said Qui-Gon and he noticed the Hokage tense up at the mention of the boy.

"Explain." The Hokage said simply.

"Naruto is Force Sensitive. He felt my presence as I in turn felt his. Tell me, have you ever noticed anything odd with Naruto? Any strange abilities he may have displayed." he inquired.

Hiruzen seemed to think about it for a moment, mulling over his memories of Naruto.

"There have been a few incidents that come to mind." he began.

"Incidents?" asked Qui-Gon, genuinely concerned.

"Yes, Naruto has made claims that he can move things without touching them, I have only witnessed it once myself. He somehow levitated the chair on which he was sitting. I had first believed it to be an unknown Bloodline Trait, a rare ability passed down through clans, but after having him examined I found that he has no ability to use the specialised techniques of our people. You're saying this has something to do with him being, what was it you called it? Force Sensitive?" said Hiruzen, standing from his chair and turning his back on the Jedi to gaze out the window and to the Village below.

"Yes. Naruto has the innate ability to tap into what we call the Force. It is a powerful form of energy that is emitted from all living things. If he remains here, untrained, he could be in serious danger." said Qui-Gon, carefully approaching the subject of taking Naruto with him.

It would have been obvious to him, even without his sharpened Jedi senses, that the Hokage cared for the boy. He only hoped he would see reason.

"You wish to take him with you." said Hiruzen. It wasn't a question.

"If it means saving him from himself, then yes." explained Qui-Gon. Hiruzen turned to look at him, slightly alarmed by his words.

"What do you mean? Do his abilities pose a danger to him?" he questioned.

"Not just to himself, but to all those around him. The Force is divided into the Light Side and the Dark Side. I'm sure someone as educated as yourself can understand the difference between the two. I've already felt it within him. I do not know why the people of your village treat Naruto the way they do, and frankly I'm afraid to ask. But Naruto is taking all of the hate, all of the anger they feel for him and he is bottling it up inside. Unless he is trained to control his emotions and his abilities, he could very well become a force of great evil on this world." explained Qui-Gon.

Hiruzen let out a weary sigh as he moved to seat himself again.

"I have tried my best to shield him from the hate the Villagers feel for him, but there is only so much I can do. It is not my place to influence what my people think. His parents died the day he was born. They died to seal within Naruto a primal beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox. It is the closest thing to the physical embodiment of Hate and Rage you'll ever find." he explained, his eyes boring into Qui-Gon's own.

"If what you say is true, Naruto is in more danger than I ever believed possible." he said, sounding as if he had aged another decade in only a few short minutes.

"You say you can help him?" he asked quietly. Qui-Gon nodded.

"Yes, the Jedi Order is the best place for Naruto, we can teach him to control his emotions so that he won't be a danger to himself or others." he said. Hiruzen nodded, seemingly in thanks.

"Will he be allowed to return?" he asked.

"After he has completed his initial training, yes. Though only when he is not on assignment, a Jedi's life is a busy one. The galaxy is a large place, there are many people to help and protect." explained Qui-Gon, causing Hiruzen to laugh softly.

"It sounds like something Naruto would enjoy. He has always taken it upon himself to help others, even if they don't necessarily want It." he said.

The two wizened warriors sat in amicable silence for a short time, neither feeling the need to speak. Hiruzen was the first to break the silence.

"He only leaves with you if he asks to, I will not force this choice upon him." he said and Qui-Gon nodded.

"I also have a few conditions."

"Of course, anything that is within my power will be done." assured Qui-Gon.

"Firstly I ask that you tell no one of our existence. Our world is one of death and deceit; it would do your galaxy no good for us to be a part of it. And second, you will leave us with some form of communication, a way in which to contact Naruto and he us." explained Hiruzen.

Qui-Gon didn't see any problem with what had been asked of him. He would only need to wipe the ships Navigational Computer after arriving at Naboo and long range communication devices were relatively cheap and easy to use.

"Agreed, I'll have a…" began Qui-Gon, but he was interrupted as the door to the Hokage's office burst open, revealing a panting Naruto.

"Old Man! I finished my ramen really quick so I could get back here. You done talking with mister Qui-Gon?" he asked, rushing over to sit in the chair beside the Jedi. Hiruzen smiled at the boy warmly.

"Yes Naruto, we just finished. I believe that Qui-Gon has something he would like to ask you." he said causing Naruto's already excited mood to grow.

"Naruto, I would like to formally invite you to join the Jedi Order." declared Qui-Gon. Naruto seemed torn.

"Being a Jedi sounds really cool and all but doesn't that mean I wouldn't get to be Hokage?" he asked, looking to Hiruzen.

"You're right Naruto, you'd be going away from this place and the position of Hokage would be lost to you. However, Qui-Gon Jin and the Jedi Order are the only ones who can help you understand your powers and train you to use them." explained the Hokage.

The idea of gaining control over his strange powers was certainly one that appealed to Naruto, though Hiruzen could still see that he was unsure.

"Naruto, you have to ask yourself something. Should your personal ambitions of becoming Hokage be put before all the lives that you could change for the better by your choice to join the Jedi Order? You can go on to become so much greater Naruto. You're being given a great opportunity to help other Naruto, but we won't force you to do anything that you don't want to. The choice is yours." he said, his words galvanising Naruto's resolve.

"You're right Old man! I'll be the best Jedi ever, just you wait. I'll save the whole gal…galax…" he started.

"Galaxy." Qui-Gon said with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, that thing! I'll save it all." declared Naruto, standing up on his chair and striking what he thought was a heroic pose. Hiruzen laughed at the boy's antics.

"I'm sure you will make me proud Naruto. Now go and pack a small bag and meet Qui-Gon and myself back at his….spaceship." he said, finding himself saying a word he would never have thought himself speaking.

"Ok, I'll be really quick." said Naruto, already halfway out of the office. The two watched him leave before Hiruzen spoke up.

"Alright then, take me to this star ship of yours. I find myself oddly curious." he said, standing up and gesturing for Qui-Gon to lead the way.

* * *

Almost half an hour past before Naruto burst into the clearing for a second time, a small backpack slung over one shoulder. He noticed Qui-Gon and Hiruzen talking at the bottom of the ships embarkation ramp.

A thick but short cylindrical object sat beside the old Hokage. Naruto ran over to stand beside Hiruzen.

"I'm all packed and ready to go." he announced.

"Good, the crew are just finishing up repairs to the ship, we will be able to get on our way quicker than I thought." said Qui-Gon.

"Then this is where we say goodbye for now Naruto." said Hiruzen, a small measure of sadness sneaking into his voice. Naruto chose that moment to throw his arms around the old man's wait and embrace him.

"Thank you Old Man, for everything. Don't worry, I'll be back someday, just you wait!" he shouted, trying his best to raise Hiruzen's spirit. It seemed to do the job.

Qui-Gon gestured for Naruto to begin following him up the ramp. Naruto followed before casting a few furtive glances around.

"Where's that man in armour from before?" he asked innocently. Qui-Gon looked somewhat confused.

"Armour? Oh you must mean C-2XS, he's not a man but a Droid." he explained.

"What's a droid?" asked Naruto. Qui-Gon sighed softly.

"Come Naruto, it seems there is much for me to teach you before we reach Naboo." he said as the ramp closed behind them.

* * *

**Thanks for giving this a read. Please remember to review. Also PLEASE READ THE OPENING AN.**

**I mentioned two small questions.**

**I already have ideas for Naruto's Lightsaber situation, however I wanted to open this up to you all. What would you like to see Naruto use? 1, 2, hell 9? Single blade? Double Blade? Colours? Let me know.**

**Help me come up with a name for Naruto's home Planet.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the wait on this one but I've been having some technical issues at home that have kept me from both the computer and the internet. But that being said, this is my longest chapter ever. For anything, so please enjoy.**

**Wanted to ask you guys one more question. Who would you like to see as Naruto's Master?**

**Please remember to take the time to review after you've read this and if you have any questions, please don't be afraid to ask.**

* * *

A single, massive eye opened for the first time in years. An insidious red burned from within and an unnerving slitted pupil gazed around lazily. Its owner was large, far larger than any creature had a right to be.

An animalistic head, sporting two large pointed ears gave way to a thin and almost humanoid. The creature's forearms ended in deadly five fingered hands resting under its snout.

Where most animals would have only a single tail, this primordial being brandished nine, covered in the same striking orange fur that layered its entire form.

The Nine-Tailed Fox had finally awoken after five years of slumber. He felt…..something. Something that it hadn't felt in over a thousand years.

He glanced about his newest prison for the first time; suffice to say he was not impressed. The Fox quickly decided that it was in his best interest to discover as much about his new host as possible.

The Nine-Tails extended its senses in an effort to view the outside world. That was when the feeling came again, magnified countless times above.

Recoiling as if struck the Nine-Tails could not believe what it had discovered. The boy, no the whelp that he had been imprisoned within was exuding a power he had not experienced since the days that it's Farther had walked the earth.

He could hear voices, talking in a language that his old man had once used. No doubt his idiotic host would be unable to understand.

'_Is this the One you spoke of Father?' _he thought to himself, reminiscing some of his Father's final words. He snorted in derision.

'_We shall see.' _He thought before resting his head back down, intent on falling asleep once again, his energy still recovering even after five years of sleep.

He was not aware that his brief awakening had had an effect on the boy, accelerating the development of some of his innate power. Subconscious knowledge from the Fox had seeped its way into Naruto's mind.

Sleep overtook the Nine-Tails quickly, thoughts of his Father dominating his dreams.

* * *

Naruto stared around in wonder at the ship's interior. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Almost every surface was a pristine white, polished to perfection. Blinking lights and colourful screens dotted the walls in various places.

He was following close behind Qui-Gon, trusting the man to lead him through the unfamiliar place. He had received odd glances from what he could only assume were members of the crew as they passed them by in the hall.

"Where are we going?" he voiced aloud suddenly. Qui-Gon looked down at him with a smile.

"We need to find you a personal translator. It is a small machine that will allow you to understand other languages. There is not enough time for you to study Galactic Standard before we reach Naboo." he said.

"Naboo? Is that another planet?" asked Naruto curiously earning a nod from the Jedi Master.

"It is. The Trade Federation, an extremely large of wealthy group, has blockaded the planet. My Padawan and I are on a diplomatic mission to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the situation." he explained.

"Awesome." said Naruto, too caught up in the notion of visiting another planet. "What's a Padawan?"

"A Padawan is a Jedi learner. The Order identifies Force Sensitive Children throughout the galaxy, and if their guardians accept the offer, they a brought to the Jedi Temple. They then train as Younglings for a number of years until either a Jedi Knight or Master takes them as their Padawan. Effectively my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is my apprentice. It is my duty to teach him all I know of the Force so that he in turn can teach others." explained Qui-Gon.

"Does that mean I'm going to be you're Padawan too?" asked Naruto.

"Possibly, in time. A Jedi is only allowed a single Padawan to train at a time." he said, noticing the disappointed look making its way onto Naruto's face.

"Though Obi-Wan is making great strides in his training. He is almost ready to become a Jedi Knight. Perhaps then I could teach you." he said, brightening the young boy's mood. A group of men rounded the corner ahead of them, dressed in matching uniforms designating them as engineering staff.

"Master Jedi!" The leading man called out as he noticed Qui-Gon approaching. The Jedi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder to stop him.

"I'll just be a moment Naruto, please wait for Me." he said before taking a few steps forward to meet with the men.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably on his feet as Qui-Gon began to speak to the men in a language he couldn't understand, much the same as when he had first met the man. He couldn't make sense of their words.

Unbeknownst to himself he had become deathly still. He only noticed something was wrong when his vision began to blur, black seeping into the edges of his sight.

He knew that he should be able to hear the words spoken by the people only metres ahead of him but no matter how hard he strained his ears he could hear nothing.

He felt something terrible swelling up from within him, unlike anything he had ever felt before. An invisible hand had taken hold of his chest and was squeezing, hard. Breathing became a difficult task.

He fell to his knees moments before his head began to heat up, feeling as if someone had jammed a red hot nail through his forehead. Finally able to move, he brought his hands up to his head, cradling it with the false hope that the pain would subside.

It didn't.

The pain only grew worse. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, only it wasn't silent, he simply couldn't hear himself.

With what little vision was still left to him he saw Qui-Gon and the group of engineers turn and dart towards him. A look of alarm written across their faces.

"Naruto!" cried out Qui-Gon but he fell on deaf ears.

The pain in his head turned from a searing white into sounds and images, the origin of which he had no knowledge of. He saw an old man, framed by the shadows of enormous beings.

He saw a world tearing itself apart, people killing and killing and killing. It never stopped. He could feel the hate, the anger and the sorrow of a thousand years of death all condensed into a single moment.

His young mind stretched to the breaking point, only through sheer force of will was he able to push the images from the front of his mind.

In an instant, it stopped. It was as if someone had simply flicked a switch. It was in that moment that he felt it.

The hate and anger he had felt before, but its cutting edge was gone, it simply _was. _It was an all-encompassing feeling coming from deep within him.

In his last moments of consciousness he felt the small spark of hope, buried deep within the negative emotions. He wouldn't remember why, but before he went limp in Qui-Gon's arms, he smiled.

* * *

His eyelids felt impossibly heavy. Despite his protest they refused to move more than fraction at a time. His entire body ached and he found that he was currently unable from doing anything more than twitch a finger.

He knew that he was no longer in the hall, the soft and cushiony surface under his back told him that much. The pain in his head was gone and he felt that he could breathe once again so he counted himself as lucky.

"Do we know what is wrong with the boy Master? What did the medical droids say?" came an unfamiliar voice from his left. He mentally cheered as he realised he could hear once again.

His eyes finally opened fully and Naruto forced his head to the side in an attempt to see who was speaking.

"Physically they say he is fine, his body is without injury. I cannot speak for his spiritual state. He was exuding waves of emotions, none of them good, though I don't believe the boy himself is the source." said a voice, one Naruto quickly identified as Qui-Gon.

"What do you mean Master? If not from the boy, where were they coming from? The Force?" asked the other.

"While the young one is remarkably strong in the Force, no. Within the boy is…" said Qui-Gon, his tone grave.

"I told you not to call me that." said Naruto weakly, trying to sound as grumpy as possible given the situation.

For a moment there was no response.

"Naruto?" said Qui-Gon, rushing to his bedside. "Can you hear me? Can you understand me?" Naruto was more than a little confused.

"Well yeah, why wouldn't I?" he croaked out, trying to sit upright.

"Because I'm not speaking the language of your planet, and neither are you." said Qui-Gon.

"Oh….._OH!_" exclaimed Naruto as he began to panic. It was possibly the strangest realisation Naruto had ever come to.

Some part of his mind realised that he was indeed speaking in a different language yet he could still understand clearly what it was he was saying.

He could still remember his native language like the back of his hand but this new language, he felt like he had known it all his life as well.

"Calm yourself Naruto. There is nothing to be worried about." said Qui-Gon, noticing the boy's panicked state. Naruto looked to the man as if he were crazy.

"I believe you are experiencing a very rare Force ability known as Comprehend Speech. It is an innate talent, one that can't be taught. Look at it this way Naruto, you no longer have to learn an entire language." he said with a smile.

That got Naruto's attention. If there was one thing he truly hated it was studying.

"Awesome." he breathed out softly as he threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up on shaky legs.

"How long was I out?" he inquired.

"No more than an hour." said Qui-Gon. Naruto groaned in disappointment.

"Dammit, I missed us taking off." he said sadly. Qui-Gon chuckled softly.

"Not to worry Naruto, come with me." he said, gesturing Naruto to follow him as he walked towards the door.

Naruto remembered that they weren't alone. He looked to the other person in the room, a man much younger than Qui-Gon stood watching him curiously.

He wore the same robes as his Master, his own Lightsaber fixed tightly at his waist. His hair was short and Naruto noticed a thin beaded braid of hair resting on his shoulder.

"Uh, hey. Naruto Uzumaki." he declared. The young man smiled.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, a pleasure to meet you Naruto." he said, his kind demeanour putting Naruto at ease.

Without another word Naruto followed Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan falling in just behind him. After passing through a number of junctions they arrived at a lone door.

Qui-Gon pressed a button on a wall-panel beside it and the door slid open. The Jedi Master stepped inside with Naruto following close behind.

"This is the port observation deck." announced Qui-Gon and Naruto could tell why.

The room itself was sparse, only a small number of seats dotting the walls. However it was the rooms crowning feature that drew Naruto's attention.

An entire wall of the room was constructed solely of transparisteel, allowing an un-interrupted view of space beyond.

Naruto stared out into the void, his eyes wide in wonder. He realised that he was the only person on his planet to ever see a sight such as this.

Naruto stared around in the blackness, marvelling at the sight of countless stars and multi-coloured nebula's far off in the distance.

It was then that he saw it. A blue and green globe, perfect in its proportions, sitting calmly in its own position in the black sea, rotating ever so slowly before his eyes.

"Is that…?" started Naruto, his mouth unable to form the proper words. Qui-Gon stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes Naruto, that is your world. It doesn't have any official name in our records because it has never been discovered before. I think it only fair to allow you to be to one to name It." he said, smiling at the look on the boy's face.

Naruto didn't know what to say.

"_Uh, how about Shinobi? Nah, too obvious. What about Shinobi backwards? Ibonihs? No, sounds tacky. I got it!" _he thought.

"How about Godai?" he said.

"Does that mean something?" asked Obi-Wan, unaware of any hidden meaning.

"Yeah. From what Iruka-sensei said in the Academy the largest continent that we all lived on is called The Elemental Nations. They're cut up into five different areas, each with an element. Godai means 'The Five Elements'." he explained, hoping that he himself was right.

"Godai it is then. Now Naruto, I must apologise. We are on a very tight schedule; we are needed at Naboo as soon as possible. We have to leave now." said Qui-Gon, easily noticing the drop in Naruto's mood.

"Yeah, I understand. Those other people need you more than I want to look at Godai. Can I at least stay here for a little while?" he asked pleadingly. Qui-Gon was more than happy to oblige.

"Of course. I'll have Obi-Wan stay with you; he can answer any questions you have about being a Jedi or the Galaxy itself until we arrive at Naboo." he explained before turning and walking from the room.

A small red light above the door blinked brightly before dying.

"All crew prepare to jump to Light-speed." said a voice from nowhere, startling Naruto.

"Don't worry, that's just the captain." said Obi-Wan, pointing to the speaker system on the wall.

"What's Light-speed?" asked Naruto curiously. Obi-Wan looked thoughtful for a moment, attempting to come up with the best way to explain the complex mechanism of faster-than-light travel to a child from a Low Tech world.

"That's no easy to explain. Come, sit by the viewport with Me." he said, gesturing to a row of comfortable looking chairs.

"Watch." he simply said, pointing out into space. Naruto looked for something out in the depths of space, something that he hadn't seen before.

The stars began to move suddenly, it took him a moment to realise that the stars themselves weren't in motion, but they were.

A fraction of a second later they began to stretch, no longer single points of light but long stands of cosmic luminescence. A blue haze filled the black space in between them until the stars themselves disappeared, only a milky blue remaining.

Naruto had felt the floor beneath him lurch slightly throughout the process. He turned to regard Obi-Wan, his eyes full of questions.

"How fast are we moving?" he asked. Obi-Wan smiled.

"You catch on quick. Light-speed is what is achieved when a ship activates its Hyper-drive. It's a machine that moves the Starship a great distance in a relatively short time." he explained.

He noticed that Naruto was struggling to understand what he was being told. It was understandable. No one was expecting a young child from a world that had barely invented the radio to be able to comprehend the complex art of space travel in a matter of minutes.

"Don't worry Naruto, you'll be taught all of this when you join the Jedi Order. I'm sure you have many other questions; I'll try my best to answer them. There is a lot you'll need to be caught up on." he said.

Naruto sat up on his seat cross-legged, his hand cupping his chin and his brow scrunched up as his mind thought of everything he wanted to know. Moments passed in silence before Naruto took a _deep _breath and looked to Obi-Wan.

"When do I get to meet a real alien? I mean you're an alien but you don't look like one. Oh, can you teach me any awesome force techniques? Or can I have a look at your Lightsaber? When do I get one? Do all Jedi have to wear those robes? Ah! What's a droid?" he spluttered out, the words streaming from his mouth all in the one breath.

Obi-Wan looked unsure where to begin. He resigned himself to a small sigh.

'_This is going to be a long trip.'_

* * *

It was well into the third hour of their trip when the dazzling lights of Hyper-space disappeared suddenly, giving way once more to the black of normal space.

Naruto had barely moved from his seated position, constantly grilling Obi-Wan.

The young man wouldn't admit it but he was happy with the change of pace. Usually it was him asking the questions of his Master, now for the first time it was he who was taking on the role of mentor.

Before meeting Naruto, Obi-Wan had been sure that when the time came for him to take on a Padawan learner that he would dread it. Now he wasn't so sure.

The Padawan had done his part, answering any and all question that Naruto had thrown his way as best he could and the young boy was thankful to say the least. He had learnt so much in such a short time.

He couldn't wait to see the Jedi Archive that Obi-Wan had told him about. Naruto had never been one to enjoy studying, never mind how little he had ever been asked to do, but there was something about the idea of pouring over the histories of the galaxy and the many battle that made up its past that excited him.

He was looking forward to reading about all of the amazing abilities that the Force enabled its practitioners to use.

Naruto was standing by the viewport when the door opened, revealing Qui-Gon. He was staring at the rapidly approaching world, blue-green much like his own but with vastly different landmasses.

He could spy several dull grey shapes floating in space above the planet.

"What're those?" he said, pointing to the offending objects. Qui-Gon came to stand beside him to see what he was referring to.

"Those are Trade Federation ships, the ones blockading Naboo." he explained.

"Why?" asked Naruto simply.

"That is what Obi-Wan and I are here to find out. We hope that we can arrange a diplomatic solution to the situation and be on our way back to Coruscant before the day is over." said Qui-Gon.

Naruto remembered the name from what Obi-Wan had told him. Coruscant was where he would be living from now on.

"Can I come with you? I really want to see a real alien." Naruto asked hopefully. It was not to be however.

"I'm sorry Naruto but these negotiations can be rather difficult. The Trade Federation might take offense to us brining a child in to the negotiations. You'll have to wait aboard the ship until we return." explained Qui-Gon, deflating Naruto's mood.

"Fine." he huffed out, crossing his arms in silent protest.

"Don't Worry Naruto, we won't be long. Now please stay aboard the ship and wait for us to return." said Qui-Gon as he walked out of the room, his Padawan following behind.

Naruto stood still for a few moments, debating with himself.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." he said to himself suddenly, reaching for the backpack he had brought with him.

Rummaging through it as quickly as he could, he produced a dark grey hooded cloak before throwing it about himself. The cloak covered his whole body, only his feet and face still visible.

It had been a gift from one of Old Man Hokage's ANBU, the man with the dog shaped mask and spiky silver hair.

If there was one thing Naruto had always been gifted at, it was the art of stealth. Within moments he was back in the confusing halls of the ship, only his senses as a guide following the distinct feeling of Qui-Gon.

Suddenly the ship shook with a resounding thud and Naruto guessed they had landed on the Trade Federation ship.

After a few more turns he could hear the familiar sound of the ship's ramp raising itself. Naruto broke out into a sprint, eager to be off the ship before it closed.

Rounding the final corner he spotted only a small strip of light as the ramp got closer to closing. Naruto kept his pace, sliding at the last second and barely clearing the gap before the ramp closed with a metallic clang.

Quietly praising himself for his efforts Naruto glanced around his new surroundings. The ship was now in a cavernous area, the main hangar of the Federation control ship.

A handful of cream coloured skeletons moved about in random patrols. Naruto guess them to be droids though they looked nothing like those Obi-Wan had shown him inside the ship. These ones all carried blasters.

Across the hangar Naruto noticed Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan standing before a large metal door. Naruto only managed to half the distance between them when it opened, revealing a sparkling silver Protocol Droid.

Its head bobbed back and forth, Naruto assumed it was speaking with the two Jedi but he was too far away to hear. Qui-Gon and his Padawan followed the droid through the doorway, still not noticing that they had a follower.

Naruto glanced around quickly, noticing that the armed droids were not looking and he dashed from his cover, making for the door.

He quickly realised that he would not be fast enough, the door closing moments before he got to it.

"Dammit!" he swore softly, banging his fist of the metal surface. His eyes drifted about, looking for some way to open it when he spotted the control console to the side.

Multiple buttons and lights covered it and Naruto couldn't make out their meaning.

"Fine, the hard way then." he muttered, reaching into his cloak.

His hand re-emerged holding a small kunai. Without another thought he stabbed the console hard, the kunai smashing it to pieces.

Miraculously the door opened, partially but it was enough. Slipping through Naruto found himself in a junction, not knowing which way to go.

He knew that simply choosing a direction at random would be useless; the ship was far too large. He slowed his breathing and closed his eyes, trying to feel for Qui-Gon's presence. Moments passed with no results and he was about to give up when he felt it, a small tug to his right.

He opened his eyes with a smile and took off down the right corridor. After a minuet of running he was forced to hide. The silver droid passed him by, not noticing his small form hidden against one of the columns that jutted from the corridors wall.

Waiting until he was sure that the droid was gone Naruto resumed his chase, coming to a reinforced door after a few minutes. He was sure that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were on the other side.

Naruto was about to employ the same 'lock-picking' method he had used before when he heard the sound of metal on metal getting closer. Realising that there were no good hiding places down on the ground he looked up.

The ceiling was vaulted, unusual patterns for aesthetic purposes worked into the supports. They provided ample space for Naruto to sit and hide well before the droid returned, this time with a tray and food and drinks.

It opened the door and Naruto was almost tempted to drop down and enter with it, but he knew that Qui-Gon would only be mad at him. He chose the safer option of waiting, it seemed that the Jedi were not able to notice his presence, at least as long as he focused on hiding.

He knew that the best course of action would simply be to wait for Qui-Gon to finish whatever negotiations he was here to attend, then follow him back to the ship.

Long minutes and Naruto was beginning to wonder what was going on. No one else had entered the room and Qui-Gon hadn't left.

'_If this is a negotiation, then where are the other guys?' _thought Naruto. He almost wished he hadn't asked.

The now familiar sound of droids moving across a metal surface came pounding down the corridor towards him. This time much faster and Naruto could easily tell there was more than one machine coming his way.

Within moments a dozen battle droids stood outside the door, their blasters pointed at it. They all looked the same except for one, instead of the usual red accent it was decorated with a bright yellow.

Naruto assumed it was the leader of the squad. He was thinking of what he should do when he heard it. A massive explosion rocked the ship and something instinctive told Naruto that the small cruiser that he had arrive on was gone, all of its crew dead.

Behind the near deafening explosion Naruto heard a strange _snap-hiss _come from within the room.

A blue, hazy shape appeared in front of the droid commander, appearing as if out of thin air. It took Naruto a moment to realise that it wasn't real, simply a projection of whoever commanded the droids.

He studied the shape briefly, his eyes widening slightly when he realised that it wasn't human. The best way that he could describe it was _'Frog-Man'_. Slimy looking skin, huge strange eyes and long bony fingers.

They were well dressed, wearing formal robes and a tall headdress.

"They must be dead by now. Destroy what's left of them." They said, their voice undeniably masculine. The shape disappeared as easily as it had arrived and the battle droids all seemed to ready their weapons.

Naruto growled softly, no way he was going to let that happen!

The doors parted, a thick gas wafting from within causing Naruto to gag slightly at the obviously toxic smell. A quick but tense moment passed in silence before a shape emerged. The droids looked ready to fire until it was revealed as the silver droid from before.

Gasping in surprise it quickly excused itself, hobbling down the corridor as quickly as its motorised legs could carry it. The yellow droid gestured another forward with its weapon.

"Check it out Corporal, we'll cover you." it said in a heavily synthesised voice.

"Roger, Roger." the selected droid responded in an almost identical voice, moving forward to enter the room. It took a few shaky steps before Naruto heard the same _snap-hiss _from before.

Two beams of light appeared, one blue and the other a brilliant green, piercing the murky haze with ease.

"Uh oh." Naruto heard, whispered by one of the droids.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan appeared a moment later and Naruto noticed that the light beams were extending from their Lightsabers. A single precise sweep of his blade was all it took for the Jedi Master to bisect the droid in front of him, his Lightsaber passing through the thick metal as if it were paper.

The other droids opened fire immediately, their blasters throwing small red darts of energy at the Jedi. Naruto watched in awe as they were deflected gracefully by the Lightsaber's blades, sent straight back to destroy the droids that had fired.

Naruto chose that as his moment to strike. Dropping from the ceiling he rushed forward, jamming his kunai hard into the knee servos of the nearest droid causing it to fall backwards.

He snatched the blaster from its cold hands. He had watched how they used them and turned the weapon towards its owner, firing two quick blasts to the droids chest before it could even compute what had happened to it.

He turned in place, now holding the blaster with both hands, and depressed the trigger three times. Three battle droids dropped, their back plates exploding with bright sparks. For such an advanced weapon he found that it was extremely simple to handle.

When they fell Naruto noticed that Qui-Gon and his Padawan had finished off the remaining droids. He ran up to the man, staring up in awe at the shining blade he held.

"Those things are even cooler than I thought. When can I get one?" he said, resting the stolen blaster over his shoulder.

"Naruto. You certainly are full of surprises though I'm afraid you'll have to wait until we get back to Coruscant." said Qui-Gon, deactivating his blade and clipping it to his belt once again.

"How did you get off the ship?" he asked. Naruto shrugged.

"I just followed you I guess and hid when I had to." he explained offhandedly. The Jedi Master kneeled down and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Either way, I'm glad. If you had obeyed my instructions then we wouldn't be having this conversation." he said before standing and looking around.

"We have to move quickly and reach the bridge before the representatives of the Trade Federation escape." Obi-Wan looked to his master.

"Why would they do this Master? What would they have to gain by attacking Republic Diplomats?" he asked. Qui-Gon shook his head in confusion.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out." he said before casting a glance at Naruto.

"Seeing as though you are here now, we may as well call this an exercise. Do you think you can keep up Naruto?"

Naruto scoffed loudly.

"Of course I can. Just point me in the right direction and I'll beat you to where ever it is you want to go." he declared proudly, posing with his hands on his hips. Qui-Gon smiled softly.

"I'm sure you could. Come then, the bridge isn't far." he said before taking off at a run down a corridor.

Only the odd droid stood in their way, Naruto using them for target practice. After only a few minutes of running they turned a corner, in the distance another large grouping of battle droids stood guard outside a door.

"That's it. Naruto, stay behind us and only attack when you are safe to do so." said Qui-Gon and Naruto, seeing no reason to argue with the man, nodded his affirmation.

With the combined effort of two Jedi and Naruto's rapidly increasing accuracy with a blaster, the battle droids proved to be short work. When the last one fell Qui-Gon made his way to the door they had been guarding.

"Watch my back, I'll find us a way in." he said and Naruto wondered what he meant. That was until the man thrust his glowing green blade _through _the thick door, the metal melting at the blades touch and dripping to the floor slowly.

The display only served to increase Naruto's desire for such a weapon. Qui-Gon was beginning to cut a large circle out of the door itself to create a makeshift entrance. The door itself rumbled for a moment, causing Qui-Gon to stop and listen.

After a short moment he withdrew his blade before stabbing the centre of the door, this time to his weapons hilt. Naruto was distracted by another small group of droids running down the corridor towards them.

Obi-Wan was deflecting their attacks back at them whilst Naruto returned fire, dropping at least three of their number. The Padawan defeated the last, sending a blaster bolt careening back and striking the head clean off the droid.

A strange sound reverberated from behind him and Naruto turned to see a peculiar sight. Two dark red metal objects were _rolling _towards them. From the slightly panicked look on Obi-Wan's face Naruto could tell that these new droids, whatever they were, weren't something to be laughed at.

"Master, Destroyers!" he called out loudly. The Master broke off his attempt to penetrate the door and moved to stand beside his apprentice.

"Naruto get behind me!" he ordered, and the boy was quick to comply.

When the two droids stopped rolling they began to unfold. Three legs supporting a ball-shaped body with two arms held out wide, each appendage ending in dual-blasters. The curve of their 'torso' acted as their heads, with three antennae ending in glowing red lights for eyes.

When they fully extended themselves Naruto watched with an unsure smile on his as a translucent blue bubble formed around them.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were doing their best to deflect the new barrage of blaster fire but it was a losing battle, Naruto noticing that the blue bubble was some sort of shield. Any and all attacks that the Jedi deflected back at them simply slipped off of the energy field.

"It's a standoff." called out Qui-Gon, lowering an arm behind himself towards Naruto.

"Get on my back Naruto and hold on tight, we need to leave." he explained. Not really understanding what the plan was, Naruto complied regardless. He vaulted onto the man's back, reluctantly dropping his newly acquired weapon and looping his arms gently around his neck, holding on for dear life.

He was barely prepared for the enormous burst of speed that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan displayed as they sped down the hallway and out of range. Once out of sight they took the first turn available to them and eased off.

Qui-Gon looked around their new surroundings before point up near the ceiling at a metal grate.

"There, the ventilation system. It will make moving around much easier." he said before reaching for his Lightsaber. Naruto moved to stop him.

"I'll get it." he declared happily. He moved to stand in front of the Jedi before he raised his hand outstretched at the ventilation grate. His eyes closed and his face scrunched in concentration as he focused on the grate.

Imagining what he wanted it to do, the two Jedi looked on as the grate began to shake slightly before lifting out of the wall entirely and dropping to the floor with a loud clang. Naruto opened his eyes and admired his handiwork, silently applauding himself.

"Well done Naruto, Sarutobi told me that you had shown great aptitude in telekinesis." congratulated Qui-Gon. Naruto blushed from the praise.

"Thanks, most people back home just thought I was some kind of freak whenever they saw me do something like that." he explained sadly. Obi-Wan looked slightly alarmed at that fact.

"You don't have to worry about anything like that among the Jedi. I don't know anyone among the Order that would think less of you because of something out of your control." he said kindly. It served to cause a complete 180 in Naruto's mood.

"Thanks Obi-Wan." he said with a smile on his face.

"I'll be going in first, Naruto you follow behind me. Obi-Wan will bring up the rear." explained Qui-Gon, earning nods from Naruto and his Padawan. Accepting their response he jumped up, grabbing the lip of the ventilation shaft and pulling himself inside.

Naruto chose a much more 'flashy' method. He took a few steps back before running, jumping up and tucking himself into a roll and nearly diving into the shaft, taking advantage of his small stature.

When Obi-Wan joined them they began to follow the Jedi Master's lead through the ventilation system.

After a short while Naruto began to suspect that they might be lost, but chose to keep his opinions to himself. His patience was rewarded when Qui-Gon took a final turn and they came to a large opening in the shaft.

It led out into another large hangar bay area. Where the last one had been relatively empty, Naruto found this one to be crowded. Large 'H' shaped ships dominated the far wall whilst bulky brown vehicles were parked in a perfect line that ran the length of the room.

In front of the vehicles stood hundreds of battle droids, all standing in formation.

Qui-Gon quietly gestured for Naruto to come closer before taking a firm hold of the boy and dropping the few metres to the cold floor below, Obi-Wan following close behind.

The group moved silently to squat behind a wall of crates, the two Jedi surveying the martial display before them.

"Battle Droids?" questioned Qui-Gon.

"It's an invasion army." clarified Obi-Wan, gesturing to the odd-shaped hovering AAT's.

"This is a strange play for the Trade Federation, they aren't usually this brave. We need to contact and warn the Naboo and Chancellor Valorum. Let's split up, we can stow aboard separate ships and meet up down on the planet. Naruto, you'll come with me." explained Qui-Gon and it seemed everyone agreed with the plan.

"You were right after all Master." declared Obi-Wan, earning a quizzical look from Qui-Gon.

"The negotiations were short." he explained with a smile.

* * *

The cramped storage compartment that Naruto and Qui-Gon found themselves hiding in was uncomfortable to say the least. Naruto would have complained if only it wouldn't lead to them being shot multiple times.

He lost track of how long they were hiding but he was glad to feel the ship come to a halt, the jarring impact signifying they had landed at last. Qui-Gon tapped his shoulder softly, gaining his attention.

"We have to move now, before the droids activate. Follow me." he said, opening the door quietly and breaking into a run. Naruto was only steps behind the Jedi.

They managed to slip out of the landing zone before too many of the droids began to activate. Crouching behind a fallen tree at the edge of the clearing Naruto watched as the large brown vehicles began to disembark and form up.

He watched as they drew closer and closer to the tree line, waiting for them to turn away. They didn't.

"Uh, they aren't stopping." he declared, stating the obvious.

"No it appears not, it seems we will have to continue running." announced Qui-Gon, the pair of them turning and running deeper into the forest as the transport tanks smashed their way through the tree line.

They were soon joined by a stampede of animals, their morning rituals disturbed by the mechanical intrusion. They panicked and swarmed away from the oncoming vehicles, passing Naruto and Qui-Gon by, sometimes too close for comfort.

As one of the larger beasts ran in front of them, Naruto spied something ahead of them. At first he thought it to be just another of the local wildlife, but he was proven wrong when he noticed that whatever it was, it was standing upright and wearing clothes.

The being screamed at their pursuers, waving its arms around comically and refusing to get out of the way despite Qui-Gon's insistence. The Jedi Master was forced to tackle them to the ground.

"Naruto, down!" he screamed to be heard over the tanks. Naruto complied, throwing himself prone on the wet ground and allowing the vehicles to pass overhead.

A brief moment passed before they were able to stand again, Qui-Gon immediately abandoning the local and beginning to walk off. Naruto cast a brief glance at the being, observing its strange physiology.

It was obviously reptilian, with scales in place of skin. It had stubby feet with only three clawed toes. Two long fleshy flaps billowed from the back of its head, presumably oversized ears and the creatures eyes were suspended away from the head on short stalks.

It stood with them, spinning in place clumsily to inspect its surroundings. Naruto shrugged slightly and chose to follow Qui-Gon.

"What'sa that?" he head from behind him, the voice sounding more than a little irritating.

"Hey! Wait!" came the voice again; it seemed that it was now intent on following them.

It caught up with the pair as they drew closer to a small clearing, a stream running through the centre.

"Oh moy moy, I love you." it said, trying to hug Qui-Gon only to be pushed away.

"You almost got us killed, are you brainless?" asked Qui-Gon in exasperation. The creature looked nonplussed at the small insult.

"I spek." it declared proudly. Qui-Gon almost laughed.

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here it'll be safer for you that way." he said, an alarmed look appearing on the creature's face.

"No, no! Meesa stay. Meesa called Jar Jar Binks, mesa your humble servant." declared the now named creature. Qui-Gon sighed softly, not even looking back at Jar Jar.

"That won't be necessary." he explained curtly, obviously eager to be rid of the local.

"Oh but it is! Tis demanded by da' gods it is!" cried Jar Jar. Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Your Gods want you to be Master Qui-Gon's servant? Why?" he asked. Jar Jar looked down at him, only now noticing his presence.

"He be savin' meesa life, da gods be demandin' I repay him." he explained.

"Makes sense I guess." said Naruto, stopping in place as he heard something approaching, fast.

"Qui-Gon, something's coming!" he called out and the Jedi Master was immediately on the defensive, his Lightsaber springing to his hands.

Obi-Wan came running into the clearing from the far side, two battle droids hot on his heels riding STAP jet bikes. The lead droid spotted Qui-Gon and fired the first shot, unluckily for it the Jedi Master sent the blast straight back at it, the STAP exploding in a bright shower of flame.

The second came in closer, intent on running Qui-Gon down. It proved ineffective as he cleaved his Lightsaber through the air, cutting the STAP in two and sending its pilot crashing to the ground in a ditch.

"You saved my again." said Jar Jar as he stood back up after falling down in fright. Obi-Wan looked more than a little bemused at the situation Naruto and Qui-Gon had found themselves in.

"And what's this?" he questioned, gesturing to Jar Jar. His Master sighed in annoyance.

"A Local." he said simply. Naruto cut in to correct him slightly.

"And Qui-Gon's new servant." he said, sharing an amused laugh with Obi-Wan.

"Regardless, we need to get out of here before more droids show up. We're too exposed out here in the open." explained Qui-Gon, walking away from the clearing and back into the forest surrounding them.

"More? More did you speak?" asked Jar Jar, his eyes wide with fear. Naruto chuckled slightly before following after Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Naruto, a little confused about what the current plan was.

"First we need to find some where safe, then we can figure out a way to get to the capital, Theed." explained Qui-Gon. Naruto could hear the heavy footfalls of Jar Jar coming up fast from behind them; it seemed he had chosen to follow them after all.

"Ex-squeeze-me, but de moistest safest place would be Gunga City. Is where I grew up, 'tis a hidden city." he explained happily in his patently annoying voice. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stopped to regard each other, obviously weighing their options.

"A city? Full of people like you?" asked Naruto cautiously, dreading the answer. It seemed Jar Jar didn't understand his hidden meaning, looking down at him with a wide grin.

"Uh huh." he said. Naruto groaned softly, looking up at Qui-Gon.

"You want to go there don't you?" he asked. The Jedi Master smiled slightly.

"It seems we have no other choice." he replied, looking at Jar Jar. "Can you take us there?"

Jar Jar went from being happy-to-help to almost terrified in a split second.

"Uh oh, on second thought no. Not really, no." he said, waving his arms about defensively. Qui-Gon looked sceptical.

"No?" Jar Jar looked unsure of how to precede, a feeling Naruto was sure he felt quite often.

"Tis embarrassing, but uh, my afraid my've been banished. My forgotten. Da bosses would do terrible tings to me. Terrible tings if me be goen back dare." he explained.

"Can't imagine why." muttered Naruto sarcastically under his breath and it seemed Obi-Wan heard him, if the smile on his face was anything to go by.

Naruto jumped to attention, kunai in his hand, when he heard the rumbling. It was coming from all around them and Naruto could imagine the large brown vehicles crushing everything in their path, looking for them.

"We need to get moving." he said to himself quietly. Qui-Gon capitalised on Jar Jar's fear.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. Jar Jar look perplexed and lifted one of his large ears up with his hand to hear. His eyes lit up; clearly he had finally heard it.

"Ya huh." he said simply. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan advanced on the Gungan slowly, causing him to step back slightly in fear.

"That my friend is the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way, looking for us." said Qui-Gon, his tone menacing. Obi-Wan moved up to take over.

"If they do manage to find us, the 'Bosses' will be the last of your worries. We will be crushed, ground into dust and blasted into oblivion. There will be no escape." he said. Naruto almost laughed; even for him it was easy to see their new strategy.

Jar Jar scratched his chin briefly, considering his options. The frightened part of his mind won out against rational thought.

"Yousa point is well seen. This way, follow me." he said, twisting in place violently causing Obi-Wan to duck or be hit by his large ears. Jar Jar began walking, none of them knowing where he was taking them.

The forest soon gave way to swamp land, the mud starting to stick to their shoes and Naruto's toes exposed to their first interplanetary mud-bath. If he didn't find the greenish ooze more than a little disgusting then he may have enjoyed it.

He ran forward to stand beside Qui-Gon.

"I thought we were supposed to go to the capital?" he asked.

"I'm hoping that Jar Jar's people have some form of transport, hopefully allowing us to reach Theed much faster." explained Qui-Gon.

"What are we supposed to do once we get there?" asked Naruto curiously.

"The Trade Federation will have to try and force the Queen to sign a treaty that will legitimize their invasion, so we must rescue her before then." said Qui-Gon, swelling Naruto with excitement.

"We get to save a Queen? Awesome." he breathed out softly causing Qui-Gon to chuckle.

"You'll soon learn Naruto that life of a Jedi isn't quite as exciting as it may seem, though it does have its moments." he said. Naruto remained silent for a short moment.

"What will happen to me once we get to Coruscant, to the rest of the Jedi?" he asked.

"I will be honest with you Naruto, I don't really know. Usually younglings are inducted into the Order at a younger age but I feel certain that you will be accepted. After that stage they grouped into Clans and all train together under the Temple's Instructors until they are chosen as the Padawan leaner by a Jedi Knight or Master." explained Qui-Gon.

"So all I have to do is impress someone really quickly so I don't have to train with all of the little kids? I can do that!" he declared proudly, pumping his arm vigorously. The old Master smiled at the boys antics.

"Who knows, I may even be your Master. I believe Obi-Wan to be ready for his trial, though it is up for the Council to decide. You have certainly impressed me Naruto; you have more innate talent with the Force than any Jedi your age I have ever met. Telekinesis is not an easy skill to learn and you already have a very good grasp on it. Tell me Naruto, is there anything else you have experienced? Anything that you couldn't explain?" asked Qui-Gon, sincerely curious.

Naruto, who at first had been gushing from the praise heaped upon him, looked away abashed. Something Qui-Gon easily noticed.

"Naruto? What is it?" he asked, concerned as to what had suddenly upset the boy.

"Well there was this one time. I was going to play in the park when I saw a bunch of kids picking on this girl. She didn't have any friends, she said it was because she had a big forehead, it wasn't that big." he said, laughing slightly.

"I got really mad at them, I remembered what it felt like not to have any friends, and I ran over to help. I'd never been so angry before. Dog, one of Old Man Hokage's ANBU had been helping me with my Taijutsu training, so I knew how to block and counter. When I tried to stop them from picking on the girl the older boy tried to punch me, so I did what Dog showed me to do, I blocked his punch by catching it." he explained.

"You caught his punch?" asked Obi-Wan, who was only now joining the conversation. "Why?" It was a valid question, everything he had been taught about unarmed combat told him it wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"Yeah, Dog said I was strong for my age and that I should use it. When I caught his fist it was…weird, I don't really know how to explain it. It was like I could see how to hurt him, how to win. Without thinking I just focused on that, it felt almost natural. Next thing I knew he was on the ground, crying in pain. The Hokage told me that I'd shattered every bone in his right arm, in more than three dozen different spots. I refused to touch anyone for a whole month." he finished, an unhappy laugh escaping his lips.

Qui-Gon's amazement at the boy's talents only seemed to grow.

"Has anything like that ever happened since then?" he asked. Naruto looked up at him, the sad look suddenly disappearing from his face.

"Uh, no. After a while I tried to do it again, with rocks and sticks but it just didn't feel the same." he explained.

"Not to worry Naruto, an old friend of mine at the Temple can help you control the ability. It is called Shatterpoint. It allows a Jedi to 'see' the weaknesses in something or someone, and use the Force to exploit them." said Qui-Gon, putting Naruto's mind at ease.

Naruto had always been afraid of his powers, though now that he knew that he would soon be able be learning to control them he felt blessed to have them.

With Jar Jar leading them, they soon arrived by the side of a large lake. The Gungan turned to regard the group.

"Well, this looks like a dead end." muttered Naruto under his breath.

"Weesa have to be goen underwater now, okeyday?" said Jar Jar, and Naruto watched the two Jedi nod their heads as if that was a normal thing for them. Naruto raised his hand.

"Uh, yeah. I don't know about you guys, but I can't breathe underwater." he said a little indignantly. Qui-Gon chuckled softly, pulling two strange looking, two-pronged devices from a pack pocket on his belt.

"Neither can I, this should help." he said, handing one of the devices to Naruto. He turned the thing over in his hand, trying to figure out exactly what it was.

"It will allow you to breathe when we go under," started Qui-Gon. "Just keep it tightly in your mouth and don't try to breathe through your nose." he explained.

"Ah, my warning you. Gungans no liken outsiders, so don't spect a warm welcome." said Jar Jar as he moved closer to the water's edge. Obi-Wan laughed.

"Believe me, we haven't experienced many warm welcomes today." he said. In a display of impressive acrobatics, Jar Jar leapt into the air, a strange cry on his lips. His body twisted and turned, before plunging into the dark water and disappearing below.

Naruto placed the re-breather in his mouth just as Qui-Gon had instructed and followed Jar Jar. The moment his feet touched the water he regretted the action. The water was beyond cold as far as his standards went. Though he thought that it probably had something to do with the fact that he had lived in warm conditions his entire life back in Konoha.

Seeing no other course of action, he persevered, and soon he was treading water with only his head showing. Naruto could hear soft splashing behind him and turned to find Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan following him.

Just as Naruto was beginning to wonder where the Gungan had disappeared to Jar Jar's head broke the water suddenly.

"Yousa follow me no, okeday?" questioned Jar Jar. Naruto nodded slightly.

"Yeah, sure thing." he said through chattering teeth, careful to keep the re-breather in his mouth. The water chilling him to the bone.

Jar Jar disappeared under the water once more, and instinctively Naruto took a deep breath before following. The water was dark, making it hard to see the blurry outline of Jar Jar moving through the water ahead of him.

Qui-Gon soon appeared beside him, giving him a good point of reference. Naruto had to admit that breathing underwater, albeit with a small machine, was a strange sensation.

Jar Jar lead them to the bottom of the lake, passing a multitude of aquatic creatures, the likes of which Naruto had never seen before.

Ahead of them, Naruto could see a light, faint but Naruto was certain that it was there.

Suddenly the lake-bed dropped away, and if the conditions had been right, the sight before them would have taken Naruto's breath away.

The source of the light Naruto had seen was revealed. Hundreds of luminescent, bubble shaped structures dominated the true lake-bed, all connected together by metal tethers. The structures grew in size the closer the centre of the arrangement they were.

A single massive bubble acted as the hub of the entire city, smaller structures were directly attached to it that acted as doorways. It was one of these that Jar Jar led them down towards.

A small platform jutted out from the bubble, its surface marred by lichen and barnacles. As a group they moved to align themselves with the platform, walking along it awkwardly.

The membrane of the bubble acted as a doorway of sorts, as Naruto walked through it he noticed that it clung to his body. He also noticed that the process removed most of the water saturating his body.

All around them Gungan's of all shapes and sizes stared at them, some in curiosity, others in fear. Naruto noticed that strangely enough a great deal of the latter were staring at Jar Jar, and not the strangers now in their midst.

"Aha, it's so good bein home." said Jar Jar, moving towards the centre of the structure. Naruto looked to Qui-Gon who shrugged, deciding to follow their guide. The other Gungan's recoiled from their presence.

Naruto was put on guard when he heard _something _growling, presumably at them. He began to reach into his cloak when Qui-Gon grabbed him arm.

"No. We must let this play out diplomatically." the man whispered to him. Though unhappy with the decision, Naruto complied, removing his hand and standing somewhat-calmly beside the Jedi Master.

A large two-legged reptile raced to intercept them, a Gungan its rider. He brandished a long metal spike. Moments later two more riders join him, encircling the group.

"Hey yousa!" the first rider called out loudly, point the very sharp looking end of his spear at Jar Jar.

"Stopa dare!" Jar Jar looked up at the rider, a look of recognition plastered across his face. It soon disappeared, replaced with one of apprehension; clearly Jar Jar was beginning to remember that he was not welcome.

"Oh heyo-dales, Cap'n Tarpals. Meesa back!" he declared happily, trying to break the tension hanging in the air. The rider, now identified as Captain Tarpals, shook his head.

"No Jar Jar. Yousa shoulda' not have been comen back. Yousa goen to da bosses. Yousa in big dudu dis time." he said, punctuating his words with small thrusts of his spear. Jar Jar's shoulders sagged, a depressed sigh escaping his lips.

One of the other riders moved forward and thrust his spear lightly towards Jar Jar's arm. The spear itself never made contact, a bright flash of electricity jumping from its tip and striking Jar Jar who jumped in surprise.

"Well that wasn't very nice." muttered Naruto. He may have found Jar Jar _slightly _annoying, but he didn't wish to see him hurt.

Captain Tarpals looked to Jar Jar's company, taking a quick moment to look them over.

"Yousa be comen too. Da bosses don't liken outsiders." he said, backing his mount up slightly and gesturing with his spear. As a group they complied, allowing themselves to be led through Gunga City.

They passed by more than a few curious onlookers, clearly not accustomed to seeing anyone of a different species to their own.

Captain Tarpals guided them through a long string of bubble-structures, decreasing in size the further they walked. Eventually they were stopped outside the entrance to a relatively small bubble.

"Yousa be waiten here." said Trapals, dismounting and walking inside.

"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Naruto. Qui-Gon had remained silent the whole trip there and Naruto was beginning to doubt whether they still had an active plan.

"One way or another we must get to the Naboo. Hopefully we can secure transport of some kind from these 'Bosses'." said Qui-Gon. Naruto looked sceptical. If their current reception was anything to go by, the chance that they would be given transport seemed slim.

"And if they don't want to do that?" he asked. Qui-Gon sighed softly.

"Then I will have to convince them otherwise." he said, and Naruto wasn't sure if he liked how his words sounded. Any thoughts on the matter were interrupted when Captain Tarpals re-joined them.

"Yousa be goen inside now. Da bosses be ready for yousa." he said, gesturing back the way he had come with a sharp movement of his arm.

Qui-Gon was the first to move, giving the Captain a curt nod as he strode past him. Naruto followed quickly behind him, not feeling exactly safe in such an alien situation.

Compared to the other structures they had been in, this one was relatively small. A raised platform ringed the entire room. Naruto spotted a number of Gungans sitting on padded chairs, all of them wearing strange robes that covered the majority of their faces.

In the centre sat a massive Gungan, his body's girth easily dwarfing that of any Naruto had seen earlier. While he wore the same robes as the others, his head was instead decorated with a crown of sorts. It wasn't hard for Naruto to identify him as the Gungan Leader.

Unbidden, Qui-Gon and his Padawan stepped forward and Naruto moved to join him. Suddenly they were under the scrutiny of the Gungan Elders. The Jedi Master seemed content to wait before pleading his case.

The Gungan leader looked none too pleased, gazing down at the three of them with thinly veiled contempt. He waved a flabby arm dismissively, a strange clicking sound resonating in his large throat as he did so.

"Yous' cannot beez here." he announced loudly, Naruto straining to understand him, his pattern of speech equally confusing as the rest of the Gungan's he had listened to.

"Dis army of Mackineeks up dare is yousa problem we saw." he said, punctuating his words by jabbing a flabby finger in their direction. Qui-Gon seemed to take the Gungan leaders words in stride, not seeming bother at all.

"The Naboo must be warned. A Droid army is about to attack." he said diplomatically, tying to shift the conversation to their favour. The Gungan let out a loud bellow, laughing at the pronouncement.

"Weesa no liken da Naboo." he said, issuing the strange clicking sound once again.

"Dose Naboo tink dey so smarty, dey tink dere brains so big." he said. Naruto's fist clenched together tightly, a soft growl issuing from his lips. They didn't want to help save them because of something so petty?

Naruto failed to see Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan flinch visibly, they waves of anger pouring from Naruto easy for trained Jedi to pick up. Qui-Gon's hand found Naruto's shoulder and he knelt down to speak with him as his Padawan continued negotiations in his stead.

"Be calm Naruto. Let go of your anger." he whispered into the young boy's ear. Naruto shook his head in defiance.

"But they're going to let everyone die just because they don't like them." said Naruto, trying to press the point.

"As Jedi it is not our place to change the views of those around, but to show them the possibility of changing themselves. The Force works in mysterious ways Naruto, I promise you that we will do everything we can to protect the Naboo, and the Gungans, even if they don't believe they need it. That is our job, that is your job now." explained Qui-Gon.

Naruto listened, and the Jedi Master began to make more and more sense. He looked away in embarrassment, Qui-Gon was right after all. It was not his place to tell other what they should think. Qui-Gon smiled when he felt the anger that had been issuing forth from Naruto disappear.

The older man stood up and moved back next to Obi-Wan, noticing that they were no closer to obtaining the help they required. Qui-Gon decided that more _persuasive _actions were required. Naruto watched as the man waved his hand in front of himself softly, a strange gesture but Naruto could feel something from it though he couldn't tell what.

"Then speed us on our way." said Qui-Gon. A momentary look of confusion passed of the Boss' face at Qui-Gon's gesture but it passed as quickly as it came.

"Weesa gunna speed yous away." he said, almost as if reciting lines from paper. Once more Qui-Gon waved his hand and it was then that Naruto realised that somehow he was using the Force to influence the Gungan leader's mind.

"We could use a transport." said Qui-Gon, a small smile on his face.

"Weesa give yousa una Bongo. Da speediest way to da Naboo 'tis goen through the Planet Core." said the Boss, his tone more than enough to tell Naruto that the 'Planet Core' was not somewhere he wanted to go.

"Now, go." he said with finality, waving them away. Both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed quickly, Naruto awkwardly mirroring them on a moments notice.

"Thank you for your assistance, we shall leave in peace." said Qui-Gon, leading them towards the exit quickly. As they neared the exit Jar Jar attempted to reach out and grab Qui-Gon's robes but was pulled backwards roughly by two guards.

"Deys settin' yousa up. Goen through da core? Bad bombin'." he said before gestuing to his bindings with an awkward smile.

"Any help here would be hot." he said with a small laugh. Qui-Gon stopped to consider a moment.

"We are short on time Master, are you sure?" asked Obi-Wan.

'We can't just leave him here." said Naruto. "He go us this far and we wouldn't have Bongo, whatever that is if it wasn't for him." Qui-Gon nodded slightly.

"Naruto is right, we may have need of a navigator." he said before turning and walking back towards the Boss.

"What will happen to Jar Jar Binks when we leave?" he asked. The Boss chuckled before answering.

"Hisen to be, pun-ished." he said, the smile he directed towards the moping Jar Jar told Naruto enough. He ran forward to stand beside Qui-Gon.

"Wait! Master Qui-Gon and I saved Jar jar's life, doesn't that mean he has that Life Thingy with us?" he said, not quite remembering what it was that Jar jar had called it. The Boss looked furious for a moment before Qui-Gon waved his hand once more.

"Your Gods demand that his life belong to us now." he said.

"Binks, yousa havena liveplay with thisen hisen?" asked the Boss and at Jar Jar's nod looked furious. He shook his bead back and forth violently, his fat cheeks slapping together in a foul blubbering noise.

"Be gone wit him!" he shouted, throwing his arms about angrily. Qui-Gon pulled Naruto along beside him, eager to make a quick escape. One of the guards flanking Jar Jar removed his bindings, allowing the Gungan to follow them out of the Boss' chamber.

Naruto had to dodge to avoid being glomped' by the happy Gungan. Jar Jar picked himself off of the floor and dusted himself off, the happy smirk still plastered across his face.

"Yousa be saving meesa again Little One. Meesa gotta be bein yousa humble servant for sure." he said. Naruto sighed heavily, casting a glare at Obi-Wan when he heard the quiet laugh escaping the young man's lips.

"Please, don't. And my name isn't 'Little One', it's Naruto." he said, saying his name slowly so that Jar Jar would hopefully understand him better.

"Dats a funny name." said Jar Jar. Naruto almost lost it.

"That's a funny name? Your name is Jar Jar Binks for cryin' out loud. Now that's a funny name." he said, trying to ignore Obi-Wan's snickering.

It certainly seemed that it would be a long trip.

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